Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-21
HOW SCULpT0R'S WORK.
FACTS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN
ABOUT STATUE MAKING.
Various Methods OF Carvins-How Sorca
Artists Differ from Otherr-The Best
known System Desc-ibed-The sIen
Who Help the Sculptors.


Artists Differ from Others-The Best
known System Desc-ibed-The sIeu
Who Help the Sculptors.
Several great sculptors, Michael Angelo
among them, have occasionally hcwn
their statues straight out Of the block Of
marble, without going through the pre-
IIninary courses Of modelling in clay and
casting in plaster. But this IS rarely done,
fer in the first place, the work would be
too long for any artist who has regard
Tor his time, and, in the second. the hew-
Ing OF the marble demands a special prac-
teal experience which makes it an art
apart y sculptor would probably spoil
g hundred blocks of marble before max
ing as much as a statuette foot high
wero he 10 trust only to himself in the
matter. Even Michael Angelo, when he
tried 10 dispense with the 'statuary'' or
practitioner" succeeded only in making
fragments Of figures. Not being IN adept
in Judging of the size OF the block he
needed, he was constantly finding that
he had rliscalculated and that an arm, a
leg or head must remain unfinished III
consequence.
The 'statuaTy," who is often an artist
OF great merit and possessed Of as much
talent in his way as the sculptor in his,
sets the plaster model on a platform,
measures it and places it side by side with
a block of marble OF the requisite height
and breadth. This do lie, he applies to the
model an instrument Of mathematical
precision, by which he obtains the de-
tailed measure Of every part and angle OF
the statue. He then returns to the
marble and roughly sketches on the out
side of 1t, by NEE points, a sort OF out
line ot the hgrTc 3Up. Upon each of
the spots where -, nas marked a point
with his pencil = workman bores a hole
with an awl, taking great care, however,
not to bore fraction of an inch deeper
than he is told When the ''statuary"
has inspected all the sides Of the block,
and when the holes have all been bored
according to his directions, the marble
looks as though it had been riddled by
bullets.
POINTS II STATUE MAKING.
a second workman then appears with
chisel and a hammer to hcw away the
fragments of marble between the different
holes and along the pencil lines drawn as
guide marks. This work is more or less
easy as the attitude Of the statue is simple
or fanciful. If the figure be one of a
modern parsonage standing placidly with
his arms by his sides, attired in the clothes
OF our day and with nothing eccentric il
the position of his legs, the task offers 10
difficulties and may be intrusted to 4
very ordinary workman. But if the sub
ject be group or a figure in an attitude,
for instance like that of A ax Denying the
lightning, the chisel cannot be intTusted
to any but practiced hand. and every
blow Of the hammer must be struck with
the greatest precaution.
The appearance presented by the marble
when the preparatory hewing has ended is
that OF some person or persons thiclzlv
wrapped up in Il shroud The outlines OF
head and body can be vaguely detected
under the white covering but nothing
more. An it is not until the 'statuary''
himself has set to work with his finer
chisel and more delicate hand that n tan
gible form begins to emerge from tie
hard mass. First the head, then the
shoulders and trunk, then the legs, and
then the arms and hands, appear The
arms and hands, if outstretched, are re-
served to the last; if detached first from
the block the oscillations caused by the
chisel III heH'ing the other parts OF the
marble might shake and crack them. This
is very necessary precaution, and it is
even usual to keep the arms, the fingers
and other projecting parts OF marble
statues continually supported by props OF
wood until the moment when the work IS
set upon its pedestal and uncovered.
WORK By THE SCULPTOR.
When the statue is handed over 10 the :
sculptor so that he may give the final /
touches to it there sometimes remains /.
anything for him to do This is /
the case when the ''statuary'' is himself /
ii first class artist and can trust himself /
TO initiate to Il nicely the slightest details /
Of form and expression in the plaster /
model. But such examples are rare. less
because Of the incapscity of the "statu- /
aries than by reason OF the natural desire /
which every artist has TO terminate in .
person the work he has conceived and /
begun. /
The statue is usually returned to the
sculptor in a half finished state, the fine .
touches, which will constitute the snecial .
beauty Of the work, yet remaining to be |
one. The most delicate Of tools ere then
employed; slender chisc!s with the finest
points; toy hammers Of scarcely anv
weight, little RT3ters that fit on, some
thing like thimbles, to the top of the fore
inger. And to polish the marble and /
smooth it chamois leather, sandpapcr,
'Donges stepped in oil and the palm OF the .
hand are used When the work presents
Z nude figure the amount of care needed
for the correct modelling of the limbs ana
muscles is uncomfortable Works like he
Laocoon, the Dying Gladiator and tie
Apollo Belvidere must have cost the maker
more trouble and anxiety than any SUM IF
money could repay.-New York Mail and
t,XpreSs